A portable lighting apparatus useful for use in illuminating the scene of an automobile accident or other emergency at night or for providing light needed for repair or emergency work in unlighted outdoor locations desirably should have a number of features. The lamp assembly should be capable of being mounted at a substantial distance above the ground in order to increase the area of illumination to permit directing the light over intervening vehicles or other objects and to reduce the amount of glare directed into the eyes of oncoming motorists. Moreover, the light should be controllable both in elevation and azimuth so as to be easily reoriented as needed. In addition, it should be readily erected and dismantled, preferably into relatively small sections to facilitate storage in a vehicle such as a police car or ambulance, when not in use.